Phonograph.



i. 3. GRISWOLD.

PHONOGRAPH. APPLICATGN FILED JULY 12, i916.

Patented Jan. 9, 19N.

il'. GRISOLD, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

EONGGRAPH.

Application filed July l2, 1916. Serai No.` 108,''.

rhe invention seeks to provide :1. novelA n and ellieient shook absorber to relieve the weight of the horn, tone-erm and sound-hon of e ,plrienogreph when the sani-U are -lowered into operativeposition with respective to e sound record.

.leiferringY to the accompanying drawings in which the li yention illustrated, Figure l. is e side elevation partly in section of e n. i structure embodying the invenl: Z'is n4 side elevation oir the shoclc orlper. 3 is e plan view thereof.

n v n 's perspective view ot the shock ah- .sorhti in niodilied forin. I.

Referring new to the par ieulzir struetnre shown in the drawings, 1 is the phonograph. onse or freine. lt contains Ithe horn 2, toneerin 3 and sound-box el, these ports being rigidly connected together so as to provide e unitary structure which may he termed the sound n. it.

5 ,is the top partition ol' the case tln'o'ngh which passes the spindle (i on which is mounted the turn tshle 7 carrying the sound reeord 8. Secured to the large end of the horn are brackets 9 and 10 which surround end are securely lixed to e spindle 1.1 by ineens of set screws 1Q. The spindle is nrrsnged to rotate inv hearings in the partition 5 and the hottoin'wall 13 of the cese. For this pinpose the lower end of the spindle preferelfily a, reduced portion 14 which its in sn elongated' recess 15. 16 is a4 hand operated hey hy ineens of which tne spindle 'l1 and sound unit may he. raised and low These perte are shown in their elevated posit-ion in l? l. When Athe key 1G ist Y op, the spindle 11 and sound unit nieve to their lower position in which the needle of the-sound hex Contents with the n e. phonograph such es that shownin "'-fewnige the sound unit and spindle 4 C v sheet eine pounds. It not infrequently happens that when the phonograph is to be operated end the hey 16 is raised, `the key slips from the hand or is raised too siuldenly. rEhe sound uni-t, therefore, drops to its lower position end causes the needle to strike the sound record with such violence that the sound-hex, sound-record and, perhaps, other parts are injured. l, therefore, provide a shock absorber for the sound unit to prevent such injury to the parts. yThis shook absorber kcomprises two levers 17, 18 pivotnlly mounted on the fulerum 19. The

levers are engaged on one side of the uleruniby suitable spring means to yieldingly hold :.tpart the ends oi' the levers on the opposite side of the iuleruni. in the preferred arrangement, these spring ineens preferably consists oi n. split ring spring es shown in Fig. 4, or two ot' such split ring springs as shown in Figs. Q and 3. Asshown in Figs. 2 and 3 he lever 17 is composed of the arms 1 7 and 17b and the lever 18 is composed of similar ernis. rihe split rings 2O and 21 have their ends in engagement with notches out in the levers nen-r the fulerunl 19 and on the short ends of the levers. The springs are normally under tension.

22 is a. ssddle plate 'connected with the erms 17a and 17h hy pivots 23 and 24.

25 is :t similar saddle plete connecting the arms of the lever 1S. rhese saddle plates are on the opposite side of the ulerurn 19 from the springs andv 21. Each of vthe saddle plates Ais provided with en opening 26 which enables the spring` supportto he slipped into position, as shown in Fig'. 1, wherein the reduced portion 1e*- oi the spindie 11` passes through the opening of the saddle plates sind the saddle plate 25 rests on the hase 13 and the enlarged portion of the spindle 11 hears upon the saddle plete 22, so that the weight of the spindle and sound unit are carried hy the spring support. A

,Vhen the key 16 iS turned down, as shown in Fig. 1, the weight of the spindle und of the sound unit are borne largely or entirely by the key 1G. Atk this time the saddle plates 2.2 and 2.5 are separated from each other at the extreme limit of separation. lWhen the. hey 16 is turned up. the weight of 'the spindle 11 and sound unit are brought to heur upon the shook absorber and. the saddle plates 22 and approach eeoh other. As these saddle. plates approach each other, the ends of the springs 20 and 2 seperate and the tension of the springs increases. This increased tension, however, is compensated for by the fact that the ends of the springs are necessarily brought nearer .to the normal line 27 passing through the fulcrum 19 so that the resistance of the shock absorber to the Weight brought to bea-r upon it remains nearly uniform as the saddle plates and 25 approach each other under the weight of the sound unit and spindle 11.

In Fig. 4 the levers 28 and 29 are formed of metal strips whose ends remote from the split ring spring 30 are twisted through an arc of 45 to provide saddles at these ends of the levers. In this form only one spring ring is used and pivoted saddles are obviated. This reduces the cost of manufacturing the device.

Heretofore, a coiled spring has been employed to take part of the weight of the sound unit, but such spring has been so arranged that its resistance to the weight of the sound unit rapidly increased when such weight was brought to bear upon the spring. It was necessary to limit the maximum resistance of the spring in order that, when the full weight of the sound unit bore upon it, the needle might be in proper contact with the sound record. As a result, the'- initial resistance of the spring was too small and when the key, such as the key 16, was suddenly released or slipped from the hand as often happened, the spring gave way entirely under the momentum of the falling sound unit and the needle struck the Sound record wit` such force as to injure the sound-b X, sound-record and perhaps other parts. lVith thespring support above described, the resistance of the spring, in the preferred form of the support, is substantially uniform and its initial resistance to the weight of the sound unit is suoli that the sound unit cannot drop suddenly to its lowest position. Hence, if the key 16 is suddenly released, no injury to the parts can occur. This is one of the important features of the invention herein described.

The shock absorber may be placed in any suitable position so as to take the weight of the sound unit.

What rclaim is:

1. The combination with a phonograph horn of a shock absorber therefor comprising a pair of levers; a fulcrum on which the levers are pivoted; and spring means engaging the levers on one side of the fulcrum to yieldingly hold apart the ends of the levers on the opposite side of the fulcrum, the weight of the horn bearing upon said last mentioned ends of the levers.

2. The combination with a honograph horn. of a shock absorber there or comprising a. pair of levers; a iulcium on which the levers are pivoted; and a split ring spring engaging the levers on one side of the ful- Crum to yieldingly hold apart the ends of the levers on the o posite side of the fulcrum, the weight o the .horn bearing upon said last mentioned ends of the levers.

3l In a phonograph the combination of a sound unit comprising a sound-box, tonearm and horn forming a unitary structure; a spindle mounted in bearings and to which the sound unit is attached; means for raising and lowerin the spindle and sound unit; and a shocliY absorber for the spindle and sound unit comprising a pair of levers, a fulcrum on which the levers are pivoted, and spring means engaging the levers on one side of the fulcrum to yieldingly hold apart the ends of the levers on the opposite side of the fulcrum, the weight of the spindle and sound unit bearing upon said last mentioned ends of the levers.

4. In a phonograph the combination of. a sound unit comprising a sound-box, tone- -arm and horn forming a unitary structure; a spindle mounted in bearings and to which the sound unit is attached; means for raising and lowering the spindle and sound unit; and a shock absorber for sound unit comprising a pair of levers, a fulcrum on which the levers are pivoted, and

" a split ring spring engaging the levers on one side of he fulcrum to yieldingly hold apart the e i. s of the'levers on the opposite side of the Iulcrum, the weight of the spindle and sound unit bearing upon said last mentioned ends of the levers.

5. The combination with a phonograph horn of a shock absorber therefor comprising a pair of levers; a fulcrum on which the levers are pivoted; and spring means engaging the levers on one side of the fulcrum to yieldingly hold apart the ends of the levers on the opposite side of the fulcrum, the weight of the born bearing upon said last mentioned ends of the levers and said spring means being so arranged as to offer a nearly uniform resistance to the weight of the horn.

6. The combination with a phonograph horn of a shock absorber therefor comprising a pair of levers; a fulcrum on which the levers are pivoted; anda split ring spring engaging the levers on one side of the fulthe spindle and ilo crum to yieldingl;7 hold apart the ends of spring means engaging the levers on one y side of the ulorum to yieldngly hold apart the Lends of the levers on 'the opposite side of the fulerum, the Weight of `the spindle 'v and sound unit bearing' upon said last mentionedends of thelevers, and said spring means being so arranged as to oder a nearly uniform resistance to the Weight; of Jshe sound unit 'and spindle.

8. ln 'ai phonograph the combination of a sound unil"J comprising a sound-box, tone arm and horn formingv a unitary structure; a spindle mounted in bearings and to which the sound unit is attached; means for raising and lowering llie spindle; and a shock absorber for the spindle and sound urit oomprising a pairvof levers, a fulcru'm on which A the levers are pivoted, and a split ring spring enga-ging the levers on one side of the fulerum t'o yieldingly hold apart the ends of the levers on the opposite side of the fulerum, the weight of the spindle and sound unill bearing upon said last mentioned ends of the levers, and said split ring1 spring being so arranged as to offer a nearly uniform resistanee to the Weiglit of the sound unit and spindle.

This specification signed this ltli day of July, A. D. 1916.

'EDGAR J. GRSWOLD. 

